Dental apparatus



Jan. 5 1943. R. E. HAWKINSON 2,307,677

DENTAL APPARATUS Filed May 21, 1940 INVENTOR 7 y Z/hwbb 1 figl, W 'd/$.4 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL APPARATUS Roy E. Hawkinson, Detroit, Mich. Application May 21, 1940, Serial No. 336,428

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a guard for dental tools and is useful in connection therewith to prevent injury to the tongue or other oral tissues during the performance of various treating operations on human teeth. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus which includes a cutting or grinding implement mounted on a mandrel, a hand piece for guiding the implement, and a guard carried by the mandrel which is so arranged as to permit a ready manipulation of the implement while, at the same time, the guard protects the tongue against injury from the implement.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide an extending attachment secured to and carried by a dental mandrel which is held in the hand piece. Such attachment is intended to act as a guard to protect the tongue from injury by the tool on the mandrel. These attachments have been of different constructions, sizes and shapes. In general, however, they have included a portion which caps or partially encloses the grinding or cutting implement. Such attachments have heretofore proved unsatisfactory principally because they are cumbersome and inconvenient in use and obstruct the users line of vision.

One object of the present invention is to provide a dental guard member carried by the mandrel which is operative to protect the tongue, cheeks, lips, or other parts of the oral cavity from injury during use of a dental implement for treating the face or side surfaces of a tooth, the guard member providing an unobstructed line of vision to parts of the tooth or teeth under treatment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dental hand piece assembly in which the shank or mandrel of a grinding disk or other dental implement is journaled within an arm extending from a plate-like guard member which permits resting of the plate-like guard member within the oral cavity to hold the tongue or cheeks of the patient at a predetermined safe distance from the cutting or grinding implement without obstructing the users line of vision or impairing his facility in handling the implement.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specifications wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present invention placed within the oral cavity in a position to effect a grinding operation on one of the lower teeth.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partially in section of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and. 2.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in'the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral l0 indicates, in general, a guard member forming a part of dental apparatus embodying the present invention. This member includes a plate-like portion ll provided with an extending arm l2. The member It! may be made of any suitable material, preferably, a non-corrosive metal, and the arm l2 may be attached thereto by any suitable means or may be made integral therewith. While the plate II is preferably provided with rounded corners, as shown, it may be of any suitable size and shape. For example, it may possess rounded marginal edges, flanges, turned portions, or the like. The member ID is adapted to be inserted within the oral cavity in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 1 and is adapted to rest on suitable portions of the body there5 within. For instance, it may-rest on the floor of the mouth, at the base of the teeth, or, on the gums. In this connection, the aforementioned flanges or turned portions of the plate 'I I may be made suitable to conveniently rest on or to contact a contemplated portion of the body within the oral cavity. For instance, a turned margnal edge of the plate I I could engage the tongue I The arm I 2 is provided at its free end with an enlarged head M. This head is provided with a provided so that the mandrel 20 is journaled for rotation in the arm [2.

The reference numeral 18 indicates, in general, a dental implement adapted to effect treating operations on teeth. In the form of the invention shown in the drawing, this implement l8 comprises a grinding disk l9 attached to the end of the mandrel 20 by the nut 2| or a screw (not shown). The mandrel 20 extends within the longitudinal central opening or bore of the head M. A collar 23 is secured to the mandrel to prevent unintended displacement of the mandrel from the head l4 and to prevent uncontrolled longitudinal movement of the mandrel in the bore of the head I4. The shank 25 of the mandrel connects the mandrel 2D with the hand piece cure the collar 23 to the mandrel 20.

The end of the shank 25 is inserted Within. a.

gripping portion or chuck of the dental hand piece 26. is conventional and is therefore not described in detail herein. However, such hand pieces normally include a chuck or clamping element for rigidly engaging a shaft or shank, such as the shank 25, and are provided withadjustable gripping means or jaws allowing the ready insertion and removal of such shanks. For. instance, the hand piece may be provided with a revolvable collar 21 for controlling the gripping means or jaws. Also the hand piece 26 is provided with a shaft 28 extending therethrough which is rigidly fixed to the shank. 25. for rotating thesame by means of the aforesaid chuck or clamping elements. This shaft.28 may be protected by a suitable sheath as shown at 29. In view of the foregoing it. will be understood that rotation of the shaft 28 will rotate the mandrel 2lland the grinding disk l9.

It. will be appreciated that suitable variations in structure maybe made in. the bearing l5, and also that the mandrel- 20 may be connected for rotation with the shaft 28 by any suitable means. For example, the mandrel 20 may continue through the bearing. l and be directly connected with. the .hand piece, 26 for rotation by the shaft 28, thereby eliminating the collar 23. Also, it willbe appreciated that the dental implement l8. need not consist of a separate mandrel and member attached thereto. This implement may be of a one-piece construction having a suitable shank. performing the functions of the mandrel 2-0 and. a suitable headperformingthe functions of. the member [9. Moreover, various dentalimplements may be usedin the present apparatus although a. grinding disk is shown in-the drawing. For instance, a dental drill, bufier or the like may be employed instead of the disk here shown.

After thedental implement [8 has been assembled relative to the hand piece2E5 and supporting member ID in the manner indicated heretofore, the present dentalapparatusis ready for use. When the apparatus is inserted within the oral cavity, the plate I l forming apart of The construction of thishand piece the member [0 contacts the tongue l3 and spaces it from the dental implement, thereby protecting the tongue from injury by the said implement. Also, it will be noted that the member ID provides an unobstructed line of vision to the tooth being treated, for it does not enclose or cover the implement l8 and, in addition, prevents the tongue from doing so. In this connection, the member ID may be easily maneuvered within the oral cavity so thatthe. entire apparatus may be guided and directed by the user with a minimum amount of eiTort.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the member ID need not be positioned as shown in. the, drawing, but may be positioned in any suitable way best suited for the dental operation contemplated. For instance, it may be inserted outside of the teeth, in which case the plate ll willpress against the lip or cheek instead of the tongue-as illustrated in Fig. 1. The plate I l is so formed and dimensioned and mounted on the mandrel 2&1 that itmay be used equallywell. on either side of the mouth.

I claim:

1-. In a dental tool of the class wherein. a cut ting element is fixedv to. the end of a rotatable mandrel, the combination with saidmandrel. of. a tongue guard directly mounted thereon for free rotational movement thereabout, normal. to. the plane of the cutting, element. and. arranged in protective relationwith. respect to'a portion of the periphery of said cuttingv element.

2. In a dental tool of theclassl wherein. a cutting element is fixed to the. end of. a-rotatable mandrel, the combination. with said mandrelof a tongue guard directly mounted thereon for free rotational movement thereabout, normaltothe plane of the cutting element. and. arranged in protective relation with respect to a. portion of the periphery of said cutting. element, andmeans on said mandrel cooperatingwith said. guard to position. said guard adjacent said cutting elements and to. maintain saidguard againstdisplacement with respect to said. cutting element axially of said mandrel.

3. In a dental tool. of the class. wherein acutting. element is fixed in the. end of. arotatable mandrel, thecombination with saidmandrelof a tongue guard generally planular in form and extending normalto theplane of the cutting element and of such length as to extend-beyond-the periphery of said cutting element, said guard being directly-mounted. on said. mandrel for free rotational movement thereabout, and means on said mandrel cooperating with said guard to position said guard adjacent said cutting elementv and to maintain said guard against; axialv displacement and inprotective relation with. respect tosaid cutting element.

ROY E. HAWKINSON. 

